Field Station India The Field Station model is a true test of what students can do to change the world. We have established our first Enactus Field Station in Hosur, Indi and its surrounding villages with a 10-year commitment to develop an on-going series of high impact projects across our team’s four categories of operations. The Cow Bank For women serving as day laborers in villages throughout Southern India, every day is a struggle to support even the most basic needs of their families. When they can find work, they make less than $2.00 per day. Did you know that a single cow, milked just twice daily, can generate more than $4.00 per day for one of these same families? But it would take a day laborer one and a half years, saving all of their money to purchase that single cow. We close that gap. We provide women with the loan of a cow, repaid with excess revenue generated by the sale of milk. We even secured agreements with local milk wholesalers, guaranteeing the women a market to sell it. Our sustainable model allows the Cow Bank to transform the lives of twelve more women each year, but why stop there? With your generous support, our team can reach more women in more villages throughout the region! Read more…

For over twenty years, the La Sierra University Students in Free Enterprise Team has demonstrated what is possible when students put their education to work. From starting a cow bank and building schools in India, to supporting local small business owners in Southern California, to empowering low-income families with affordable ways to live healthier on a budget, the team has successfully utilized entrepreneurial action to significantly impact our local and global community. The La Sierra University SIFE team has worked as one of over 1,500 teams in thirty-nine countries forming a global network of students committed to making a difference in their communities. To build upon its strong global presence and deepen its commitment to entrepreneurial action, SIFE Worldwide is rebranding under the new name “Enactus.” Announced on Sunday, September 30, during the SIFE World Cup Opening Ceremonies in Washington D.C., this new name has already been adopted by individual teams world-wide. Entrepreneurial– having the perspective to see an opportunityand talent to create value from that opportunity; Action– the willingness to do something and the commitment to see it through even when the outcome is not guaranteed; Us – a collection of people who see themselves connected in some Read more…

As we enter a new academic year, our Member Development team is hard at work, planning new opportunities, streamlining processes, and updating our team database. To ensure we have the most up-to-date information on active team members and how to contact them, we need your help. We have simplified our membership application system, which now includes options both for potential members and current members who wish to renew their membership. Whether you are applying for new membership or renewal, please fill this form out completely. The information you provide in this short form will assist the Member Development team in upgrading your contact information, identifying your areas of interest and leadership growth in the team, and help us support your continued professional growth towards your intended career goals. The application form is available online on our team website. To go directly to the form, please click http://sife.lasierra.edu/apply-for-membership/ We look forward to another year of endless possibilities. Member Development Team The Member Development Team is led by Director Jessica Partida.

We continued our exciting series of SIFE Summer Think Tank 2012 meetings last Friday with a discussion on internal and external communication tools and strategies for our team. One of the key items of discussion in the meeting was how to utilize each of the three core communication tools (OrgSync, Team Website, Facebook Groups) as effectively as possible in our team. Based on recommendations from the Think Tank, well-aligned with similar input from our team President, we will be working in the coming weeks to implement new strategies based on the following ideas: Our team website will be the primary hub of all news, information, and resources for the team. This includes general information on projects, official project updates, and toolkits of resources for project directors, among other content. We will continue utilizing Facebook groups to facilitate frequent and increased general communication among team members and within project-specific groups. Orgsync will primarily be used as a means of reaching potential members, organizing our official team database, and for member documentation purposes (i.e. recording hours of engagement to support the university’s new “Engagement Transcript” documentation needs and student portfolios.)

We are currently in the process of redesigning our website to better support our growing team and projects. Watch in the coming weeks for more information. With the efforts of several members of our team, including our Communication Team, we will be making targeted improvements in the following areas. Simplified Upcoming Event Display Individual Project-Based Sites for Larger Projects Reader-Friendly Design More Frequent Project Updates Simplified “How-to-Join” Information on the Team and its Projects More Pictures and Video Increased Organizational Support for Project Teams Simplified Authoring of Posts And More!!! And this week, we are working specifically on our new homepage, as well as new sites for our Colombia Project and R.E.A.L. Healthy Program. Stay tuned for more, and as always, we would love your feedback and ideas.

AS A SIFE STUDENT YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY!!! Scholarship Deadlines: January 23rd & February 6, 2012 5:00 p.m. CST A Message from SIFE USA: Are you in need of scholarship money to pay for the ever increasing cost of a college education? Are you an outstanding SIFE student who deserves recognition for the efforts you have put into your SIFE team? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then please READ ON! SIFE USA has four(4) scholarships available to recognize the outstanding contributions and leadership skills of SIFE students. Please Note: You will need your SIFE user name and password to access the online scholarship applications. This is different from your lasierra.edu e-mail or OrgSync accounts. You may need to create an account on sife.org if you have not previously. Contact your Sam Walton Fellow for assistance. Available Scholarships and Application Links Jules and Gwen Knapp SIFE Ambassador Scholarship – Click here to apply online $10,000 scholarship to be used for educational purposes 2 or more additional scholarships Robert J. Verdisco Retail Scholarship – Click here to apply online $5,000 scholarship $1,000 project grant to winning SIFE team The SIFE Emerging Leader Award – Read more…

We are now posting a number of job descriptions for position openings in the team based upon the essential functions the team has identified this summer. These positions include the following (click to view a full position description): President Director of Communications Director of Project Development Director of Member Development Director of Finance Click here to fill out a leadership application and start the process. If you are found to be a qualified applicant, you will be invited to next submit a resume and letter of recommendation, and deliver a short presentation to a selection committee. This presentation, part of a focused interview process, should inform the committee about you and your qualifications for the position, as well as some initial plans you would implement if selected. And please note that these positions are now open until filled. In the coming months, as the team begins its new projects and programs, the team will also include positions of: Project Leaders (a.k.a. Project Lead. Develop and implement a single, focused operation) Program Directors (Direct development of groupings of projects with a common target) Category Managers (Facilitate development of projects and programs in the team’s five operational categories: Education, Economic Opportunity, Health & Read more…

Now you can stay current with the latest news from the La Sierra University SIFE Team in two new ways! Use the e-mail subscription box on the right side of our homepage to receive a regular e-mail digest, or add our feed to your favorite feedreader by clicking “subscribe” at the top right of our homepage.

We’ve posted five new positions available for viewing by students on our OrgSync community. Position descriptions and an explanation of the application/selection process will be available within the next two days here and on OrgSync. Students can log in today and check out the latest information.